Virus TI OSX/MBP Issue with latest release and beta versions

I have this wierd and really annoying problem with the Virus TI (v1 keyboard) where it seems to keep causing other USB devices to drop out momentarily (but it doesnt seems to disrupt audio) on my 2011 MBP 17, OSX 10.6.7 with latest updates. All other hardware drivers are up to date.

I first noticed it when using the latest bet, but still applies after uninstalling everything and going back to the latest release version.

I particularly notice this with my RME UFX as it causes the totalmixfx to think its just been connected and grab focus. It also causes lights to flash at the same time on various other controllers - particularly noticeable with APC40 and Kore 2 and can even mess up iLok and eLicenser dongles requiring that they be inserted again sometimes.

I have confirmed that it only happens when the Virus TI is plugged in.

Also I note that when I plug it into USB (any MBP usb port or even via a belkin hub), The Virus TI power cycles itself. Same when I unplug it - allmost like the internal electronics is actually switching from the mains power to USB power, but with a gap between. At this time, I havn't been using VS for a while, so I don't know if it affects that. I don't ever remember it doing this before in the many years I had it, though only recently that I've started to use it on a MBP with OSX.

Not tried it again in a PC to see if it does similar on windows.

No idea what triggered it or when, but I suspect it might have been when the beta was installed on it.
Also after reverting to the release version, it was OK for a day or so, but starting to play up again.

Marc - any clues/workarounds?

Yes - I know its odd, and wrong and like its trying to get power etc

OK, the power cycling seems it might be a hovering ground issue. If I plug the audio outs into my audio interface, it stops power cycling, however other problem remains - it still causes RME totalmixfx to think the UFX has just been plugged in whenever I plug in the TI or even standby/resume the TI while the TI is plugged in.

(Remember this is a very old TI-K - one of the very first you shipped to retail.)

Ive no idea whos fault it is - yours or RME (or even Apple?). It only affects the UFX (nothing else seems to think it has just been plugged in) and nothing else being removed or plugged in is causes this to happen. I have no idea if other RME product are affected in this way.

Any chance between you and RME you could look into it - extremely annoying trying to work when the DAW keeps switching to totalmixfx.

Unfortunately I dont know what TI OS version I was using before I noticed this - Im pretty sure it started happened when I updated to the current beta a month or so back. At the same time I also updated UFX firmware and drivers which didnt work.

So I rolled them back, they still didnt work correctly - it seems something else that had changed had upset them. RME refuse to accept anything could possibly be wrong, even though a candidate driver they had on their forum partially fixed the problem (which now was stalling and distortion through the UFX). It was only after I installed that driver on that I was left with just totalmixfx jumping to the front alot rather than a heap of other problems as well. As mentioned in previous post, I eventually exclusively tied this last problem down to a bad interaction between UFX and TI.

Rolling back the TI firmware and driver to the current release didnt help, so not a current beta release issue. It might be a 4.1 issue, but I dont have an earlier one to try and cant even remember what version I was using before.

So from this, I personally feel that something changed in TI OS/Driver 4.x onwards to affect this, but the real fault is probably with RME - maybe even totalmixfx. However they now flatly refuse to communicate with me on the issue telling me to go UK distributor or the retailer - not very helpful at all.

Any questions/clarification - please ask. If you have my email address still, happy to pick it up via email.

Adam (may remember me from the old beta days)